The Owl of Minerva
The owl of the goddess of wisdom, associated with the order's Minerval grade.
Documented historical symbol
- Period
- 1776–1785
The entry grade of the Illuminati was the Minerval grade, named after Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. Her emblem, the owl — a long-standing symbol of wisdom and learning — is associated with the Minerval insignia of the order.
The owl expresses the order's stated aim: education and the pursuit of knowledge.
Sources
- René Le Forestier, Les Illuminés de Bavière et la franc-maçonnerie allemande (Paris, 1914).
- Richard van Dülmen, Der Geheimbund der Illuminaten (Stuttgart, 1975).